Flexible decorative strip



Feb. 8; E938. J. R. SEXTON FLEXIBLE DECQRATIVE STRIP Filed May 5, 1957 Patented Feb. 8, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to flexible decorative strips of lustrous trimmings which are particularly adapted for draping upon and ornamenting Christmas trees, although usable for adorning other objects.

The object of the invention is the production of long strips of trimming or drape which are inexpensive to manufacture in continuous sections, and that are very brilliant and sparkling owing to having many small light reflecting facets or surfaces which result from their configuration, and that are resilient and flexible so that when draped they will vibrate upon the slightest jar and reflect scintillating rays of light.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 shows on greatly enlarged scale a short section of a strip constructed according to this invention.

Fig. 2 shows on approximately natural scale a strip as used.

Fig. 3 shows on enlarged scale a mandrel with a short section of strip wound thereon, illustrating a step in the method of manufacture.

Fig. 4 on very much enlarged scale shows a section of the stock from which the strip originates.

Fig. 5 is a section on the enlarged scale, of the strip which is produced from the stock shown in Fig. 4.

In the manufacture of the strip, a very fine hard drawn copper or bronze wire I, only a few thousandths of an inch in diameter, is provided with a plating or coating 2 of bright metal, silver or chromium, and is then rolled into a flat thin ribbon 3 of indefinite length, which is only a few hundredths of an inch wide.

The strip thus formed is wound upon a mandrel 4 that is of angular cross-section. This produces a continuous coil 5 of substantially uniform diameter, the turns of which are not perfect circles but are broken up by angular bends 6 between which are flat surfaces 7. When the coil is removed from the mandrel the turns tend, owing to the resilience of the wire, to spring or open slightly so that all of the respective flat surfaces are not in the same planes, and there are produced an infinite number of small irregularly related brilliant plated facets which reflect light rays in many directions.

Owing to the strength of the internal wire the coils when the strip is in use are not liable to stretch open, but as a result of the delicacy and resilience of the internal wire, the strip when hung or draped vibrates if subjected to the slightest jar, so that the angular change of relations of the multiplicity of very small light reflecting surfaces produces a sparkling glitter.

This product is wound on cards to prevent the continuous lengths of coiled ribbon from twisting and becoming tangled, while merchandised.

The invention claimed is:

l. A decorative strip which comprises a flexible metallic helical coil formed of a flat strip each turn of the helical coil having a multiplicity of angularly related light reflecting surfaces.

2. The manufacture of a decorative strip which comprises plating the exterior of a hard drawn flexible fine wire, reducing said plated wire to a thin narrow ribbon, and coiling said ribbon into a continuous helical length of uniform diameter with coils having a plurality of irregularly related bends. I

3. A decorative strip which comprises a continuous flexible metallic coil of small diameter having a polished light reflecting surface, said coil being formed of a flat strip with its turns angularly bent to produce a multiplicity of irregularly related substantially rectangular light reflecting surfaces.

4. A decorative strip which comprises a continuous flexible metallic coil of substantially uniform diameter which coil has a lustrous surface, said coil being formed of a flat strip with transverse angular bends irregularly related which produce a multiplicity of light reflecting surfaces.

5. A decorative strip which comprises a continuous flexible helical metallic coil formed of a flat strip which has a resilient metallic interior and a lustrous exterior, the turns of said coil having irregularly related angular bends which produce a multiplicity of light reflecting facets.

JOHN R. SEXTON. 

